Adjustable tail holder



June 16, 1931. JUDY 1,810,833

ADJUSTABLE TAIL HOLDER 7 Filed 001:. 21, 1930 Patented June 16, 1931 FRANK IB. JUDY, F CYNTHIANA, TUGKY ADJUSTABLE TAIL HOLDER Application filed October 21,

This invention relates to adjustable tail holders of that type described in my co-pending application, filed August 15, 1930, Serial An object of the invention is to provide a single padin lieu of the two interchangeable pads disclosed in said co-pending application, the single pad being adjustable upward, downward, to the right, and to the left to 1 lift and straighten a horses defective tail in a single operation.

As is well known, when the tail lies vflat and straight, in order to bring about a showy and liftedtail, an operation is necessary. The ligaments underneath the tail are out and then a tail holder is placed on the horse, adjusted to the animal, and a pad carried by the tail holder supports the tail raised tothe desired point. This stretches the tail at the i point of operation and holds it there until the ends of the ligaments which have been cut grow back together. For this single operation about thirty days are required for the ligaments to heal. The ordinary tail holder is rigid and when the tail is operated upon and placed in the tail holder, it remains in that, one position for the whole period of thirty days until cured.

Sometimes the tail in this'rigid position becomes inflamed, often paralyzed, and even,

in extreme cases, rots off.

To prevent this detrimental result of the strengthening operation, the present tail holder provides a single pad for supporting the tail upright and permits of the pad being adjusted to various angular inclinations relatively to the tail holder whereby the pad may be adjusted to ease up onthe tail at any time and prevent such inflammation, paralysis and rotting, while at the same time providing greater comfort to the animal while going through the-period of healing. '1

Again when a horse has a crooked tail, that is, a tail whichhangs to one side, as well as a flat tail, twooperati'ons are necessary, one to cut the ligaments beneath the tail, and the other to cut-the ligaments on the side of the tail which draw it to one side.v 'Using the ordinary tail holder. it has hitherto been necessary to make one operation and wait 7 being understood that various 1930. Serial No. 490,288.

thirty days or more until it heals, and then make the other operation and wait an additional thirty days or moreuntil it also heals.

The present invention provides a single curved pad for application to the tail holder, said pad being adjustable to the right and to the left to any desired extent as wellas being adjustable vertically, whereby the pad permits of straightening and lifting the tail simultaneously in a single thirty-day period. To accomplish the above and other objects the invention consists in certain novel details of construct-ion and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spiritor sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. In the accompanying drawings forming. part of this specification,

Figure 1 1s a side elevation of my improved tail holder in applied position,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal so through the tail holder,and

F1 g. 3 is an underneath plan view holder.

ctional view like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, the tail holder is shown to comprise a pair of side frames 10, preferably formed of light cast aluminum. Each frame is provided with a base flange 11 which is shaped to conform to the curvature of the animals buttocksand the inner faces of the flanges are provided with pads 12 which fit the animal comfortably during the healing period. The side frames are rigidly held parallel by means of a bolt 13 passed through the frames. A spacing sleeve 14 is fitted on the bolt and bears against the frames to maintain the proper space between the frames.

The side frames are equipped at the top with snap hooks 15 to which straps 16 are attached, these straps extending forwardly on the animals back and being secured in any preferred manner to a girth 17. The side frames are equipped at the bottom with of the tail Referring now to the drawings in which snap hooks 18 carried by straps 19 which are adapted to extend forwardly over the animals hips and which are secured in any pre ferred manner to said girth 17.

Pivoted between the side frames is a pad 20. The pad comprises a concave longitudinally curved base plate 21. The base plate is preferably formed of cast aluminum. A leather or similar covering 22 is supported on the base plate and serves as a lining to prevent contact of the metal with the animals tail. Preferably the marginal edges of the leather lining are bent over the underneath side of the metal base plate, as shown at 23, and are secured in place by a line of stitching 24. The concave or U-sha'ped cross section of the pad permits of ventilation around and" beneath the animals tail when it issupported by the pad during theperiod of healing so that a healthy comfortable condition is maintained. 7 n

Hinged between the side frames is a leaf 25 preferably formed of light strong cast aluminum andhaving integral therewith at one end atransverse hinge eye 27 which extends below theiunderneath'face of the leaf.

A pivot bolt 28 is passed. through the hinge eye and through suitable openings. in the side frames to hingedly secure the leaf to the side frames; V T l The leaf is also provided n the underneath face with integral side flanges 2 9 which projectforwardly along the bottom face of the leaf and the flanges are terminally provided with notches 30, as best shown in Fig. 2, ad'- jacent the bottom face of the leaf. An ad justing bolt 31 is passed selectively through any one of an arcuate series of openings 32 formed in the side frames concentric with the pivot bolt 28 and nests in the notches 31. By rocking the pad upwardly or downwardly on the pivot bolt 28 and passing the adjustingpin 31 through any particular pair of the openings 32, thepad may be held raised to. any desired vertical angular position be tween the, side frames.

By now referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that an arcuate series 'of openings 33 are formed in the leaf at the free end thereof. An adjusting bolt 34 is fixed in. any preferred manner to the curved base plate2l ofthe pad and may be passedselectively through any one of the series of openings 33 to permit of the pad being adjusted transversely to the right or the left to maintain the pad extended in pheproper direction to straighten. a curved t'ai i The tail supporting pad is pivoted to the leaf'25 near the hinge eye 27 of the leaf, and for this purpose, as best shown in Fi 2 a pivotbolt 35 is: fixed to the base pla-te'of the pad and ispassed through a suitable opening in the leaf, as shown. The pivot boltis equipped preferably with a wing nut 36' to permit of the pivot bolt being raised sufliciently to. allow the adjusting bolt being tothe side frames.

"struck from the center "of thepivot bolt 35 ,so that the tail supportingpad 20 will always incline outwardly in either direction from a common center coinciding with the pivot bolt in any adjusted position of the pad laterally of the side frames.

7 It will be observed that the structure of the side frames of the tail holder, as well as the pivoted leaf and longitudinally curved U-shaped tail supporting pad, presents a skeleton structure through which air may circulate freely to maintain the device in a sanitary condition as well as to promote the comfort of the animal after the operation and during the healing period.

It will further be'observed thatby virtue of the above described vertical adjustment including thepivot bolt 13F and adjusting bolt 31 .oftlie side frames, an ez tremely secure adjustment will bemaintalned at any vertically adjusted angular position of the pad 20 SO tl1&t dislodgment of the pad, when once applied, due to movements of the animal, is positively prevented. It will further be observed that by virtue of the pivot bolt 35 and adjusting bolt 34 of the pad, a transverse adjustment of the pad may be maintained securely in any desired position of the pad. o

The soft facing or pads 12 of the flanges 11 of the side frames may be secured to said.

flanges in any suitable manner but preferably are secured by a-line oflea ther stitching 38 1 asibest shown in'Fig. 3.

From the above description, it isthought that the construction and operation of invention will be clearly understood without furtherf explanation. 7

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A tail holder for'simultaneously lifting and adjusting a defective tail after an opera tion comprising side frames adapted to be mountedon an animals buttocks, a pad for supporting the tail, and means operatively connecting the padtothe side frames and adapted to secure the pad; in raised, lowered and transversely inclined positionsrel-atively .side frames, a leaf adjustable vertically between the side frames, and atail. supporting pad adjustable laterally-on the leaf. V

3. An adjustable tail holder comprising side frames, a. leaf pivoted. at one end? between. the side frames, meansfor adjustably securing the pivoted leaf vertically between the side frames, a tail supporting pad, and means for adjustably securing the pad transversely of the leaf.

4. An adjustable tail holder comprising side frames, padded flanges on the side frames for engagement with the animals buttocks, a leaf, a pivotal connection between one end of the leaf and the side frames, said side frames having openings therein, perforated flanges carried by said leaf, an adjusting bolt engageable through the perforations in said flanges and through a pair of said openings for adjustably securing said leaf in various pivoted positions between said side frames,

a tail holding pad, a pivotal connection between one end of said tail holding pad and said leaf, said leaf having a series of perforations therein, and an adjusting bolt carried by said pad and selectively engageable in the openings of said leaf for securing said pad at various angular positions transversely of said leaf.

5. An adjustable tail holder comprising a pair of spaced side frames,means for maintaining said frames permanently in spaced relationship, a leaf pivoted at one end between said side frames and rockable vertically on the pivot thereof, a transverse adjusting bolt for securing the free end of said leaf to said side frames, a longitudinally curved tail supporting pad of substantially U-shaped cross section pivoted to said leaf near the pivoted end of said leaf, and an adjusting bolt carried by said pad and selectively engageable in a series of openings disposed near the free end of said leaf for holding the pad in various adjusted positions transversely of the leaf.

49 6. An adjustable tail holder comprising metal side frames, a metal leaf pivoted at one end between the side frames, means adjustably securing the free end of said leaf to said side frames, a tail supporting metal pad, a

Q5 lining on said pad, means removably securing said pad at one end to said leaf near the pivot of said leaf, and means adjustably securing said pad to the free end of said leaf.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

5o 7 FRANK B. JUDY. [1 s.] 

